Washington Commanders second-year quarterback Sam Howell began the 2023 NFL season as one of the favorites to be the first quarterback to be benched by his team. But halfway though the season, there is only one signal caller in the league that has thrown for more yards than Howell has, and he might be around for the long-term rather than losing his job.
Commanders May Have Found Their QB In Sam Howell
It’s my favorite part of the weekend.
Sharing with you some of my conversations and intel collected over the last few days before Week 9 NFL action:https://t.co/eYc9FVI423 pic.twitter.com/mEKwtBlji3— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) November 4, 2023
Howell had played in just one game his rookie season, and he threw just 19 passes and completed 11 of them for one touchdown and one interception. He was on in relief of Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke who manned the position for much of the season, both of whom did not return to Washington for the current campaign. That left Howell as the player who had the most experience with the team, and he won the starting job over veteran Jacoby Brissett in training camp.
Things looked rough for Howell early on, especially after his 170 yard, 0 touchdown, 4 interception performance in Week 3 against the Bills. But he’s played well ever since, putting up 11 touchdowns against 4 interceptions the last 6 games for the Commanders. It has been his yardage stats that have been most impressive, as he has put up three 300+ yards games in that span, including 722 combined yards over the last two weeks.
The impressive number puts him at second place in the league in terms of total passing yards, behind only Tua Tagovailoa in the Miami Dolphins’ explosive offensive scheme.
Howell Is 2nd In The NFL In Passing Yards
Sam Howell is my franchise QB. pic.twitter.com/RiovhxUsi8
— Billy Tinkle (@BillyTinkleNuts) November 6, 2023
It is a welcomed revelation for the Commanders, who have struggled to find a franchise quarterback for many years. As Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Saturday, there is belief within the organization that the team has found their guy in Sam Howell, and that the focus is now building for 2024 with him in mind as their starter.
Howell has played well, but the results of the games haven’t been great. Washington had lost five of their last six games after starting 2-0, but were able to pick up a victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday to improve their record to 4-5. They have a fighter’s chance of competing for a playoff spot, but still have some seriously tough games on the schedule that they must endure down the road.
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